Easy No-Bulk Pocket

I’ve used this pocket twice now and I. LOVE. IT. No fooling. I love it so much, I want to share how to create the same pocket I used on both the Black Twill Jeans and the Grey shorts:

OK a little confession. I trace the pants -front pattern as if there would be no pocket. Just straight across at the waistline. Well, I align the pocket piece and trace along those lines, but still my finished front-pattern piece shows no evidence of a pocket. This allows me to choose a different hand opening without tracing another copy of the pattern. For me, there’s really no fabric or time savings to be had by cutting the pocket shape at the same time as cutting out the front. That’s a savings for professionals who cut and sew 100 or more of the same pattern at the same time and then sell it for ridiculous (both too high and too low) prices. It also means that I can decide a little later on, what shape I want that pocket opening to be. I do very little to pants. I want my bottom to be as plain and unnoticeable as I can make them. That’s because I’m the classic pear shape with nice round bottom. I prefer to visually balance my top and bottom halves. Plain bottoms help me achieve that illusion. But I do like to embellish clothing or do something a bit special to all my clothing. My pockets are where I indulge that urge. Hence the desire to take my time deciding upon the hand opening. But I digress. Here’s how I cut and sew this fantastic, only 2 pattern piece pocket.

I’ve cut out the front (without pocket opening). Now I align the pocket pattern with the sides and waistline of the pant front.

I trace the outline of the pocket on the public side of the pant leg

and repeat with the pocket facing, but only trace the opening for the hand

The pocket facing includes a seam allowance along the opening for the pocket. I need to trim that away

I bind the pocket opening with bias tape. I’m assuming you have your own preferred method. This particular pocket I stitched with right sides facing; pressed the binding up and over the edge and finished by stitching in the ditch with my cover stitch machine. In a perfect world, I would be done with the pocket opening. But since this is real life, the final finish to the pocket opening was to trim the excess bias tape, now on the interior of the pant.

I added fusible tape to the right side of the pocket along the edges but not the side seam or waistline edge. (Oh dear, I should have taken a picture). Then aligned the pocket along the waistline and side seam of the pant front and fused the pocket to the pant front. I don’t trust fusible tape to last through the life of my garment. So from the right side, I cover stitched the pocket into place. I aligned my needles so the left most was stitching just inside that first traced line. I didn’t need to trim the pocket the way I trimmed the bias tape because the pocket was the perfect shape for the traced line!

Because it’s two layer – no facing- it is the flattest pocket possible. I could have used matching thread. The stitching would still have been visible especially when viewed up close.

I also like this pocket because I have a pocket, but the pocket doesn’t influence fitting. What I mean is that I’ve noticed pockets can disguise a lack of ease because the pocket will spread and the pant will utilize that spread so I feel like I have enough ease. Also pockets will not always fall into the desired place. For a long time I never made a front pocket without adding an elastic gusset between pocket and center-front seam/zipper. I appreciated the tummy control but more important was the pocket control. This pocket can’t spread, can’t shift or move around. It can’t effect my fit evaluation.

Isn’t this gorgeous:

***Thanks ladies for all your compliments. I think it is a wonderful pocket and glad that you agree!

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6 thoughts on “Easy No-Bulk Pocket”

This is exactly the pocket solution I’ve been looking for! Really–for the last couple of weeks I’ve been waking up in the middle of the night, thinking about how to add pockets to some pants patterns I’m experimenting with. This is the perfect solution. It would also help me with skirts. No pocket stays; no need to move a pocket if I need to change the fit of the garment. Plus, it looks great, is simpler than my usual pockets, and offers a variety of styling options.